Coventry Sphinx 2-0 Cogenhoe United
Stuart Guest
Coventry Sphinx will start the final calendar month of the Uhlsport United Counties League Premier Division South season on top of the pile.
Cogenhoe United have twice given Sphinx plenty to think about this term, forcing them into late heroics at Compton Park in the first meeting and ensuring a battling performance would be required in the second.
Joint managers John Woodward and Shaun Thomas opted for an attacking line-up, naming a trio of Dylan Parker, Callum Stewart and Kyle Carey behind striker Matty Shipman.
Scott Martin played in goal behind a back four of Jack Downes, Callum Whiteside, Louis Guest and Callum Martin, with Luke Downes and captain Callum Woodward starting in midfield.
The home team got off to a flyer with the front four settling immediately. They took the lead in the second minute to ease any early nerves.
A Shipman pass picked out Carey in the left channel and his brilliant ball across the face of goal was perfect for Parker. Arriving at the back post at just the right moment, Parker lifted it into the top corner.
For the first quarter of an hour Sphinx were untouchable. They controlled possession and made a few chances before their impetus paid off in the 17th minute. After Woodward's 25-yard free kick had been saved by the Cooks goalkeeper, the captain took the corner himself from the left flank.
Woodward sent the ball high beyond the back post, well away from the reach of the goalkeeper, and Guest had freed himself to win the header easily. He knocked it back across for defensive partner Whiteside, who powered his header home to make it 2-0.
Such was Sphinx's dominance in the early stages that there might have been some sympathy in a curious decision not to award a free kick after Shipman was fouled before going clear on goal. Cogenhoe soon stemmed the flow, slowing the game down and keeping Sphinx, though dangerous, largely at bay.
Nevertheless, Sphinx thrived in the first half of a pressure game. Cogenhoe sought to kill the play at 2-0 down, fouling Carey often and successfully keeping the score down before half time.
The Cooks prevented Sphinx from engaging the next gear and found their own in the second half, making a much better start in the first few minutes after going into the break two goals down.
Far from looking to run up the score after two early goals, Sphinx had to get themselves going again just to keep the difference at two. After riding ten minutes of Cogenhoe pressure at the start of the second half they did exactly that.
On the hour mark they came close to a third goal. A tricky Stewart run followed by a clever clipped cross created a chance for Woodward, whose header – no easy finish – bounced on the crossbar.
It wasn't a vintage second half in terms of goalmouth action but it was an absorbing contest. Cogenhoe had another good spell in the middle of the period, with Callum Martin having to clear their best chance off the line in the 69th minute.
The game grew increasingly niggly and Sphinx felt the visitors were allowed to get away with a few fouls and a possible second yellow card for one of their players. The home team dug in, working hard to protect their lead through the last quarter of an hour.
There was a debut off the bench for new signing Joe Pursey and one stoppage time save for the Cogenhoe goalkeeper to make from substitute Leo Stone, but the biggest talking point of the second half came at the other end two minutes from the end of normal time.
A straight red card for serious foul play by Cooks substitute Harry Waple-Moors was debated because he got a kick in the face in the process of his foul, but his late challenge warranted the dismissal and the referee had the right angle on this occasion.
With that, the chances of a turnaround at the death all but disappeared and Sphinx coasted home to win 2-0 and jump to first place in the Premier Division South.
Thomas and Woodward’s team couldn't have timed it any better. With five games remaining, they've finally played the same number of matches as the previous leaders and overtaken them with the run-in already underway.
The challenge ahead is huge. Sphinx must hold their nerve and overcome five difficult matches with no room for error. They now have the pressure of being in front to contend with too.
Throw in four consecutive away games and nobody will be fooled into thinking the job is done. It's better to be in first than second with fifteen points left to play for but with two teams breathing down our necks, the business end of the season is here.
Sphinx team
S. Martin, J. Downes, C. Martin, L. Downes, Guest, Whiteside, Parker (Stone), Woodward (Pursey), Shipman (Kennedy), Stewart (Johnson), Carey (Rawlings)